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Original poster

40+40x0+1 ?

539 replies

minimuffy · 09/11/2011 19:48

40 + 40 x 0 + 1 =

A- 1
B- 41
c- 0

I say its B-41 as you need to multiply then add. (from what i remember of standard grade maths the acroymym BOMDAS- brackets off, multiply, divide, add, subtract)

DH says its 1.

please tell he's wrong!

OP posts:
jjkm · 11/11/2011 20:09

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schnitzelvoncrumm · 11/11/2011 20:09

If it's any consolation dilys I sat through 23 lectures on this sort of thing (punchline was line bundle) and felt fairly lost after the first 5 minutes of the first lecture. It was one of those courses where only the super-bright german guy in the second row had a clue what was going on, and everyone left the lectures groaning and clutching their heads.

DilysPrice · 11/11/2011 20:02

Yes, I did get that one, and even the group theory ones, but schnitzel's little number clearly marks the point at which I run out of brain/knowledge, and I have to do a Captain Oates and let the rest of you go on without me.

GrimmaTheNome · 11/11/2011 19:58

(that was my joke. Hmphh)

GrimmaTheNome · 11/11/2011 19:55

Oh good, back down to my level.

jjkm · 11/11/2011 19:55

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Blu · 11/11/2011 19:47

There are 3 types of mathematicians: Those that can do mental arithmetic and those that can't.

GrimmaTheNome · 11/11/2011 19:44

Dilys, but you'd better have got my joke! Grin

schnitzelvoncrumm · 11/11/2011 19:41

noblegiraffe It's ninety pounds but so is a one night stay in a nice hotel. I know which I'd choose, which is why I always use my library :o Or Blackwells/Heffers second hand sections...

schnitzelvoncrumm · 11/11/2011 19:37

Dilys unless you did that sort of thing at postgrad level, you can consider yourself excused.

Other mners who are interested: I recommend to you this podcast by Marcus de Sautoy on a brief history of mathematics. Marcus de Sautoy is a bit like the Brian Cox of mathematicians but balder. He's very good though, and this series is very enjoyable.

DilysPrice · 11/11/2011 19:12

I don't understand that joke schnitzel Sad I think that knock at the door may be my old tutor with a big stick come to repossess my degree.

jjkm · 11/11/2011 18:53

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noblegiraffe · 11/11/2011 18:52

Why didn't Euler invent group theory?

Because he wasn't Abel.

noblegiraffe · 11/11/2011 18:49

What did the zero say to the 8?

'Nice belt'.

That set theory book is ninety pounds Shock

schnitzelvoncrumm · 11/11/2011 18:43
noseinbook · 11/11/2011 18:39

This bodmas stuff is stupid, isn't it? You work out what's in the brackets first, and then work left to right with the result.

schnitzelvoncrumm · 11/11/2011 18:38

what's green and zingy and belongs to a non-singular algebraic variety??

schnitzelvoncrumm · 11/11/2011 18:36

What's purple and commutes?

An abelian grape

DilysPrice · 11/11/2011 18:29

DH has redeemed his flaky BODMAS instincts with this extremely hardcore "joke":

What's yellow and equivalent to the Axiom of Choice?
Zorn's Lemon! Grin?Grin?

schnitzelvoncrumm · 11/11/2011 18:28

DilysPrice I've always called it aleph zero myself but others call it aleph null. I think Elvis Cridlington, if he took a second career in mathematics, would probably go for aleph nothing as it has a nice ring to it. And Norman Price probably calls it aleph oops. I may start doing that myself...

Jux read this book. It's fab, and very easy to read - not too dry and textbook like. It even has a section where you have to imagine you're at kindergarten and can't yet count. My favourite set theory book ever. :)

GrimmaTheNome · 11/11/2011 18:13

I just asked my yr8 DD. She got it wrong, but then said 'oh yes, we learned BODMAS in Yr5....but we had all forgotten it in Yr7'. Apparently when the teacher realised this, she got them to do a sum, then put it into their (school standard BODMAS-compliant) calculators whereat there were lots of cries of either 'my calculator doesn't work' or 'whaa... I can't do maths'.

jjkm · 11/11/2011 18:08

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DilysPrice · 11/11/2011 18:00

Is it Aleph Zero not Aleph Null schnitzel? Or can it be either?

Tianc · 11/11/2011 17:59

Ah, complexnumber, that buggers up my primary school explanation earlier then (repeated subtraction).

So in the repeated subtraction eg maybe it would work to say, "You can carry on subtracting forever, so your number of divisions goes off into infinity." That would introduce "tends to infinity", while your counter-example would then show you can't plough on and blithely manipulate infinity like a number.

Any holes (for primary level)?

Jux · 11/11/2011 17:56

Actually I'm just as in awe of anyone who understands set theory as anyone who understands number theory. You may be my new goddess Grin

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